Former England captain Michael Vaughan took a cheeky dig at India’s catching woes after the BCCI invited applications for the position of fielding coach for the Senior Women’s National Team.
Reacting to the announcement on X, Vaughan wrote: “I will be the fielding coach.”
The BCCI has set November 16 as the deadline for applications for the fielding coach’s position, along with that of head physiotherapist for the Senior Men’s National Team.
Vaughan’s remark comes at a time when India’s fielding standards have been under scrutiny following a series of costly lapses. The team’s catching problems were particularly evident during the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, where India dropped 10 catches across five group-stage matches.
Three of those dropped chances came against South Africa, with Marizanne Kapp making India pay after receiving multiple lifelines. India eventually suffered a group-stage exit, with their fielding attracting widespread criticism.
Head coach Amol Muzumdar had acknowledged the shortcomings, admitting that the team needed to improve across all three departments, including batting, bowling and fielding.
However, the problem has continued beyond the global tournament. India dropped four catches during their three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe before missing another four opportunities in the opening ODI of the subsequent series.
Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh was among those to struggle, dropping two catches, including a regulation opportunity behind the stumps. Deepti Sharma and Kranti Gaud also missed chances, while India failed to convert a couple of run-out opportunities.
Although India completed a 3-0 sweep in the ODI series, the repeated fielding errors have raised questions about the team’s efforts to address the issue.
The BCCI has laid down specific eligibility criteria for the fielding coach’s role. Applicants must have either represented India or another country at the international level, hold a minimum BCCI Level ‘B’ coaching certification or an equivalent qualification along with at least 30 first-class matches, or have coached an international team for one season or a T20 franchise or state team for at least two seasons.
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India’s next assignment will be an all-format tour of South Africa in December. The teams will play a one-off Test in Gqeberha from December 9, followed by three ODIs from December 16 and three T20Is from December 26.
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